july 27-31 event workbook · stay in touch with your leader. please be sure to regularly check in...

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In partnership with#LTCVIRTUAL

Time MON TUES WED THURS FRI

Eastern - 10:30amCentral - 9:30amMountain - 10:30amPaci�c - 9:30am

Team Rally (30 mins)



Do Your Own Dare (120 mins)

Eastern - 11:00amCentral - 10:00am

Team EAST Core Training

(60 mins)


(60 mins)


(60 mins)

Eastern - 1:00pmCentral - 12:00pmMountain - 11:00amPaci�c - 10:00am

General Session (60 mins)



Eastern - 2:00pmCentral - 1:00pmMountain - 12:00pmPaci�c - 11:00am

Break Break Break

Mountain - 1:00pmPaci�c - 12:00pm

Team WEST Core Training

(60 mins)


(60 mins)


(60 mins)

Eastern - 4:00pmCentral - 3:00pmMountain - 2:00pmPaci�c - 1:00pm

Outreach

(60-120 mins) and Break

Outreach


Outreach




Eastern -7:00pmCentral - 6:00pmMountain - 5:00pmPaci�c - 4:00pm






Youth Group Time (45 mins)




Check with your leader for speci�c details on activities and outreach. General Sessions will start streaming 10 minutes beforehand. Team EAST is for Eastern/Central time zones. Team WEST is for Mountain/Paci�c time zones.

EVENT BEGINS!

© 2020 Dare 2 Share Ministries. 4 Chair Discipling, and How to Make a Disciple used by permission by Sonlife. Reprint permission granted for LTC Virtual Alumni for use with your youth group and in your school. Not for resale. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com �e “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark O�ce by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture notations marked (NLT) are taken from the New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. All scripture notations marked (ESV) are from the English Standard Version (ESV) �e Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All scripture notations marked (MSG) are from �e Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson.

Brought to you by Dare 2 Share MinistriesBrought to you by Dare 2 Share Ministries

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Dear Lead THE Cause Virtual Attendee,

We are living in some crazy times! Although many camps and mission trips have been cancelled due to the pandemic, the mission of Jesus has not been cancelled.

If anything, people, especially teenagers, are more open to the Gospel than ever before! This pandemic has activated a global fear in many hearts. That’s why we must activate hope by sharing the Gospel with as many people as we can!

If you somehow discovered the cure to COVID-19 while doing some summer online Chemistry class, you would tell everyone the good news that you had the cure. Well, you have the cure to something infinitely worse than the Coronavirus and your friends who don’t know Jesus are headed somewhere infinitely worse than death.

Jesus is the cure to hopelessness, fear, isolation, and desperation!

This week you will be inspired and equipped to share the cure with others. You will be mobilized to lead THE Cause of Christ (aka "the Great Commission") with thousands of other teenagers from coast to coast.

Each day you’ll experience highly interactive general sessions that will inspire you, break out core training sessions that will equip you, and exciting activities that will mobilize you.

Whether it's praying for revival at a local school campus, sending audio stories that explain the Gospel to your friends, or doing a service project that safely mobilizes you to share and show the love of Jesus, you will have opportunities to put what you’ve learned into practice.

You’ll leave Lead THE Cause Virtual with a passion in your soul, a vision in your heart, a plan in your mind, and the tools in your hand that will enable you to carry the cure your friends so desperately need right now, the Good News of Jesus!

This week will stretch you. It will push you. So, throughout the week, ask God for his Spirit to “activate” you and he will give you the power to proclaim his Gospel. In Acts 1:8, there is an essential reminder for us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Greg StierFounder, Dare 2 Share

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G L O S S A R Y O F T E R M S POWER TEAMSPairs or groups of 2-3 who communicate with one another about the questions or activities posed during core training and general sessions.

ACTIVATEPut into action the point that was just taught.

S U R V I V A L T I P S F O R T H E W E E KW E W A N T Y O U T O H A V E T H E B E S T W E E K E V E R !

PARTICIPATING AT HOME

Drink lots of water and get off screens on breaks. It’s summer, and water is good for you! Also, remember to take a break from screens when you can to let your eyes and brain rest.

Stay in touch with your leader. Please be sure to regularly check in with and answer messages from your leader, and let them know how you are doing.

Keep in touch with your Power Team. Even if you are alone, don't experience this alone. Activate a Power Team of friends through group texts, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.

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PARTICIPATING IN SMALL GROUPS

Wash your hands and keep social distancing! We want to keep everyone safe, so please be careful to keep 6 ft. between you and others and wash your hands often.

Drink lots of water and wear sunscreen. It’s summer, and water is good for you! Also, remember to apply sunscreen before going outside for long periods of time for activities.

Be respectful and encouraging. Remember that this is a long and intense week. Please be kind and respectful to all you are with and all you are communicating with.

Don’t go off alone. Even with social distancing, we don’t want you to wander too far from the group. Make sure you have a buddy for the week, and let your youth leader know if you need to leave the group for any reason.

Stay in touch with your leader. Please be sure to regularly check in with and answer messages from your leader, and let them know how you are doing.

PARTICIPATING IN A LARGE GROUP

Wash your hands and keep social distancing! We want to keep everyone safe, so please be careful to keep 6 ft. between you and others and wash your hands often.

Drink lots of water and wear sunscreen. It’s summer, and water is good for you! Also, remember to apply sunscreen before going outside for long periods of time for activities.

Be respectful and encouraging. Remember that this is a long and intense week. Please be kind and respectful to all you are with and all you are communicating with.

Don’t go off alone. Make sure you have a buddy for the week and let your youth leader know if you need to leave the group for any reason.

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O U T R E A C H G U I D E L I N E S PARTICIPATING AT HOME

Respectfully make decisions. For example, even if you love to serve the elderly and want to give them something, be sure to do it in a way that doesn’t put them at risk or make them uncomfortable.

Lovingly communicate. Due to people’s emotions being more raw during this tough time in history, be extra careful to communicate in a very loving and respectful way that includes lots of listening.

PARTICIPATING IN SMALL GROUPS OR IN A LARGE GROUP

Follow Social Distance Rules. Remember that we want people to feel comfortable, so be sure you and your students maintain the 6 ft. or more rule when approaching people and pay attention to their body language.

Bring and Wear Masks. In an effort to respect others and their health, if possible, wear masks out in public when doing your outreach. And, yes, teens can share the Gospel through a mask from 6 ft away.

Bring and Use Hand Sanitizer. After touching anything in public or coming into contact with others, encourage your students and leaders to use hand sanitizer. When you return to the building, have everyone wash their hands, and sanitize vehicles.

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Don’t go door to door randomly. You may inadvertently expose your students to COVID-19, or make someone at high risk very uncomfortable, if you go knocking door to door. If you want to do an activity that involves delivering items, leave them at the door step or call in advance.

Keep your hands to yourself. People may still want social distance and be uncomfortable with any amount of touch even with the restrictions withdrawn, so be sure to instruct your students and leaders to be careful about that.

Think through the needs. o o o othinking through and researching the biggest needs in your community and how you can best help people effectively.

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SGlossary of Terms and Survival Tips 4

Outreach Guidelines 6

MONDAY - Activate 10

TUESDAY - Prayer 15

WEDNESDAY - Care 27

Care Outreach Ideas 35

THURSDAY - Share 37

Share Outreach Ideas 45

FRIDAY - Dare 47

CORE TRAINING 101 53

CORE TRAINING 201 73

DEVOTIONS 95

MONDAYMONDAY

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O V E R V I E W O F T H E C A U S E W H A T I S T H E C A U S E ?

It is the last and lasting mandate of Jesus to “make disciples.” This is THE Cause that every believer should love, live, and lead! “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

O V E R V I E W O F T H E W E E K Tuesday // Wednesday // Thursday // Friday PRAYER Day CARE Day SHARE Day DARE Day

O V E R V I E W O F T O N I G H T“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:31

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↑ Upward Activation through prayer.

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.” Acts 4:31

Heavenly Father,

Pour out your Holy Spirit to inspire me with these words from Holy Scripture.

Stir in my soul the desire to renew my faith and deepen my relationship with your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ so that I might truly believe in and live the Good News.

Open my heart to hear the Gospel and grant me the confidence to proclaim the Good News to others.

Pour out your Spirit, so that I might be strengthened to go forth and witness to the Gospel in my everyday life through my words and actions.

In moments of hesitation, remind me:

If not me, then who will proclaim the Gospel?

If not now, then when will the Gospel be proclaimed?

If not the truth of the Gospel, then what shall I proclaim?

God, our Father, I pray that through the Holy Spirit I might hear the call to deepen my faith, grow in confidence to proclaim the Gospel and boldly witness to the saving grace of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.1

1. Prayer adapted from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and- devotions/prayers/prayer-for-the-new-evangelization.cfm, June 4, 2020.

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↓ Inward Activation through the Holy Spirit.

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↔ Outward Activation through evangelism.

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THE Cause Circle

A C T I V A T E !Write down the names of 3 friends, who don’t know Jesus yet, in THE Cause Circle.

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A C T I V A T E !• Download and/or update the newly redesigned Life in 6 Words app.*

• Spend a few minutes praying for each of the friends in your Cause Circle to be open to hearing the Gospel from you this week.

* If you don’t have a smart phone, use the Cause Circle on the previous page.

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NOTES

PRAYTUESDAY

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W H Y P R A Y ?

It activates our intimacy with God.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1,2

It activates God's hand to change situations and circumstances.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:16b-18

It activates spiritually dead hearts back to life.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4,5

It activates Christians to fearlessly spread the Gospel.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…” Ephesians 6:19

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W H A T I S P R A Y E R ?

P R A Y E R I S S I M P L Y T A L K I N G T O G O D .

The best prayers are simple, sincere and direct.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7 (ESV)

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

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H O W D O W E P R A Y ?We can use these powerful prayer passages of the early church as a guide as we talk with God on purpose:

PraiseRequestAdmitYield

Praise (dance party)

“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” Acts 3:6-8

We praise God for who He is and all that He has done!

P O W E R T E A M S !Speak/text one sentence prayers to God.

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Request (shopping spree)

“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:29-31

“'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.'” Matthew 7:7

We ask for what we need or want and ask on the behalf of others as well.

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O NAsk God to provide something you need or want.

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Admit (traffic court)

“’Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.’ Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.’” Acts 8:22-24

We confess our sins to God and acknowledge His forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

P E R S O N A L A C T I V I T YSilently identify one sin you need to confess and one person you need to forgive right now.

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Yield (manual labor)

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Colossians 4:12

o o o o o o o owith the Spirit, so we can obey His Word through His power.

P O W E R T E A M S !o o o o o o o

member with His Spirit and boldness to share the Gospel with them this week!

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A C T I V A T E !Ask God for wisdom to help you PRAY on a daily basis and write down your plan to PRAY (Mornings? Evenings? Lunch? In a car? At home? Etc.)

Share your plan to PRAY with your Power Team.

Send a text to all 3 friends in your Cause Circle that says something like, “Is there o o o

WHEN

WHERE

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M Y L E T T E R T O G O D

Dear God, ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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S M A L L G R O U P D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

1. What were the most challenging and encouraging things about our prayer experience today?

2. How will your personal prayer time change now that you had this experience?

3. What can we do as a youth group to make prayer a higher priority?

CAREWEDNESDAY

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W H Y I S C A R I N G F O R P E O P L E I M P O R T A N T ?“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

We care for others, because Jesus cared for others, and He promised us that giving is better than receiving!

W H A T D O E S I T M E A N T O C A R E ?“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Acts 1:1,2

When I care for others, I am continuing the work that Jesus began!

When I care for others, I am valuing others more than myself.

When I care for others, I am putting other people’s needs above my own.

H O W D O I C A R E L I K E J E S U S ? “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five and two fish.’ Then Jesus directed

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them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.”

Mark 6:34-44

P O W E R T E A M S !Why are Christians often viewed as uncaring?

JESUS SAW PEOPLE.

“Jesus landed and saw a large crowd....” Mark 6:34

He looked beyond the surface of people’s outward facades.

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O NDo you see beyond the surface, when it comes to others?

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JESUS FELT THEIR PAIN.

“....he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Mark 6:34

P O W E R T E A M S !When’s the last time you really felt someone else’s pain?

JESUS SENSED THEIR NEEDS. “By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat. But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’” Mark 6:35-37

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P O W E R T E A M S !What are some of the practical needs that teenagers currently have, especially in light of the pandemic?

JESUS MET THEIR NEEDS.

He met their physical needs...

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied.”

Mark 6:41,42

God took Jesus’ single act of caring and multiplied its impact on every level. (5,000 fed, and 12 baskets left over!)

God can do the same with your acts of caring!

He met their spiritual needs...

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35

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It all started with empathy!

What is empathy? Seeing people, feeling their pain, and sensing their needs, so that you can meet their needs!

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O NThink of one friend. If you could look into your friend’s heart right now, in what ways would they be “like a sheep without a shepherd”? What are they hurting over and hungry for? If they were to write out a prayer to God what do you think it would say?

Write out a prayer to God from their perspective:

Stop and pray for that friend right now.

A C T I V A T E !Send a text like this to the friends you texted yesterday, "I've been praying for you and I wanted to see how it's going."

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NOTES

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S M A L L G R O U P D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S We spent time during the evening session asking God to deal with the sin in our lives.

1. Does anyone have anything they would like to share from this evening’s experience? Would anyone like to share what God dealt with in their lives?

2. What were the most challenging and encouraging things about our care experience today?

3. How will you personally be more caring to others (friends and strangers) now that you have had this experience?

4. What can we do as a youth group to make caring for others a higher priority, especially in light of the pandemic? As a reminder, make sure you take time to record your testimony video on Binumi and post it on your social media accounts. Go to https://zg8t9.app.goo.gl/UXLv and do this tonight.

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O U T R E A C H I D E A S - C A R EPARTICIPATING AT HOME

2 Questions: TEXT MESSAGE• “How are you holding up during this pandemic?”• “How can I pray for you?”

Serve your neighbor (offer a meal, wash car, yard work, etc.).

Send some sort of treat through a food delivery service to someone you know is hurting and doesn’t know Jesus.

Paint rocks with positive words like “Faith”, “Hope”, “Love” or “Praying for you,” and drop them on the edge of people’s driveways. Use your fence or driveway to make a chalk mural of love for your neighbors.


2 Questions: TEXT or IN-PERSON• “How are you holding up during this pandemic?”• “Is there any way I can pray for you?”

Signs of encouragement: Gather on a busy street corner/area and hold up encouraging signs, such as: “Jesus loves you”, “We love (name of city)”, etc.

Video: On a piece of paper, have everyone in your group write 1 sad thing that has happened to them personally (during the quarantine) on one side of a piece of paper and 1 good thing (that they experienced during the pandemic) on the other side. Make a brief video of these things with an encouraging worship song in the background and send this video to friends who don’t know Jesus and ask them to share their 1 sad/good thing with you.

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2 Questions: IN-PERSON at a park, outdoor area where people hang out.• “How are you holding up during this pandemic?”• “Is there any way I can pray for you?”

Serve Station: Ask permission to set up in front of a store to hand out free bottles of water, light bulbs, etc. Whatever you choose to give away, be sure to purchase from the store you are set up in front of. Set up items on table and offer people coming/going to pick up free item and if they have any prayer needs (set up a table and write down their prayer requests). Offer to pray for them on the spot as well. Make sure you follow the guidelines of your local community regarding face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, etc.

Make yard signs with some sort of caring message like “Praying for you” or “We’re all in this together” or “Virtual Hugs” and put them in the yards of people that your group knows could use some encouragement.

SHARETHURSDAY

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A C T I V A T I O N L E A D S T O M U L T I P L I C A T I O N !“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 (ESV)

T H E F O U R C H A I R SThe Four Chairs is a picture of the disciple-making process Jesus employed to multiply disciple-makers who would change the world.

Chair One – The LOST

In this Chair, teenagers don’t know Jesus as their Savior. Some are close to putting their faith in Jesus Christ and some are far away. It’s important to recognize which of your friends are in this chair and how far they may be from trusting in Jesus.

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” Acts 7:51

So how do we reach them? We activate the Cause Circle!• Pray for them!• Care for them!• Share the Gospel with them!

When we share the Gospel, we must be clear!

“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” Colossians 4:4

Remember the 3 Glasses of Water: Clear, Muddy, Poison

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P O W E R T E A M S !Which one of these phrases is clear, which one is muddy and which one is "poison"? Why?

1. You must ask Jesus in your heart to be saved.2. You must turn from all your sins before you can be saved.3. You must trust in Jesus in order to be saved.

Chair Two – The BELIEVER

In Chair Two, someone has put their faith in Jesus and are learning how to grow in Christ. This can range from getting them plugged into a church, helping them read their Bibles and pray on a consistent basis, and encouraging them to share their story with others.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18a

Hint: Use the Life Series to help new believers grow! (www.wearelovinlife.com/lifeseries)

P O W E R T E A M S !o o o o o

faith?

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Chair Three – The WORKER

When a teenager moves to Chair Three, they are actively growing deep in their faith (through discipleship) and going wide with their faith (through evangelism.) They know how to study God’s Word for themselves and are actively sharing their faith as a natural part of their lives. Chair Three teenagers know how to lead others to Jesus and are actively seeking to do that with those they encounter.

“Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:20,21

Hint: Train believers you know to share their faith by using the Life in 6 Words app (li6w.com).

A C T I V A T E !Write down the names of three Christians you can train to share their faith:

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Chair Four – The DISCIPLE MAKER

Chair Four teenagers are not just making converts, they are making disciples who make disciples. For them, the Christian life is not about more meetings, it’s about the mission of disciple making. They are making disciples as they grow more and more in their passion for Jesus and dependence on him to give them the power to be effective.

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2

A C T I V A T E !Fill out the Personal Inventory on the following pages or download the "Like Jesus" app and complete the inventory.

4 Chair Discipling Personal Inventory

Instructions: Answer each question honestly. Do not be discouraged with where you are at, but rather see this inventory as a tool to help you discover the next step in your disciple-making journey. A point value of 1, 2 or 3 will be given to each response. A score between 0-19 indicates that you should still put primary focus on that Chair. A score of 20-21 indicates that you can put primary focus on the next Chair while remaining strong in all previous Chairs in your disciple-making journey.

CHAIR ONE / SEEKER / “COME AND SEE”

Score replies for the Chair One category as follows:DISAGREE / 1 UNSURE / 2 AGREE / 3

1. o o2. I could never be good enough to earn my way to heaven.3. Religious acts like going to church or being baptized do

not make me a Christian.4. There is only one way to God and that is through faith in

His Son, Jesus Christ.5. I have put my faith in Christ’s death and resurrection as the

only payment for my sin.6. My commitment to follow Christ is a response to God’s

grace and the gift of salvation I’ve received.7. Those who don’t put their faith in Christ will be separated

from God for eternity in hell.

CHAIR TWO / BELIEVER / “FOLLOW ME”

Score replies for the Chair Two category as follows: WEAK / 1 IMPROVING / 2 STRONG / 3

1. I am developing the character of Christ (love, joy, peace,

2. I am developing the priorities of Christ (Love God and o o

3. o o oarea of my life (time, money, relationships).

4. I am dependent on God’s Spirit for strength and direction in my everyday life.

5. I spend time with God each day by reading His Word and talking to Him through prayer.

6. I know my spiritual gifts and look for ways to use them in serving others.

7. I am concerned for those who don’t know Jesus and want to share Him with them.

Disagree Unsure Agree

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Total ____

Weak Improving Strong

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Total ____

CHAIR THREE / WORKER / “FISH FOR MEN”

Score replies in the Chair Three category as follows:WEAK / 1 IMPROVING / 2 STRONG / 3

1. I pursue relationships with spiritually lost people and pray for their salvation.

2. I know how to communicate my salvation story (my testimony).3. I know how to share the Gospel message simply and clearly (in

two minutes).4. I look for and act upon opportunities to share the Gospel

message verbally with spiritually lost people.5. I pursue discipling relationships with other believers and pray

for their growth into Christlikeness.6. I know the basics that a new believer needs to understand to

grow in their faith.7. I share what God is teaching me with others to encourage

them in their faith.

CHAIR FOUR / DISCIPLE-MAKER / “BEAR MUCH FRUIT”

Score replies in the Chair Four category as follows: WEAK / 1 IMPROVING / 2 STRONG / 3

1. I have shown others how to share their faith, and they are putting it into practice.

2. I am regularly meeting with at least one other believer to show them how to follow Christ.

3. I am committed to walking with others through the process of becoming a disciple who makes disciples.

4. I model a disciple-making lifestyle that encourages and inspires others to make disciples.

5. I prioritize my schedule to be able to spend time with spiritually lost people and disciple believers.

6. I have discipled someone I led to Christ, and they are now discipling someone they led to Christ.

7. I initiate new relationships for the purpose of making disciples.

The next step in my discipling journey is... ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chair 1 2 3 4

Total


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Total ____


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Total ____

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S M A L L G R O U P D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N SBefore your youth group discussion time you are going to spend several moments commissioning one another. First, youth leaders, pray for your students. Then, students, pray for your youth leaders.

1. What were the most challenging and encouraging things about our share experience today?

2. How can you share more consistently with others (friends and strangers) now that you have had this outreach experience?

3. What can we do as a youth group to make sharing the Gospel with others a higher priority?

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O U T R E A C H I D E A S - S H A R E

PARTICIPATING AT HOME

1. With at least 3 friends in your Cause Circle, record audio stories with the Life in 6 Words app, and send to each friend.

2. Text a friend one of the Salt videos and say: “What do you think about this? I’d love to talk about this with you.” (All Salt videos here: https://leadthecause.org/salt)

3. Play video games and share the Gospel while you are playing with people online.



2. Text a friend and say, “What 6 words would you use to describe your life?” Engage them in a conversation and look for an opportunity to send them the Life in 6 Words video (https://leadthecause.org/lifein6words). Figure out when you could meet up with them in person so that you can share the Gospel face-to-face.

3. Prepare a skit, spoken word, or a cardboard testimony about the Gospel with your group and make a brief video. Share it on YouTube, social media, and with your friends who don’t know Jesus and follow up in conversation.

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2. Have 3 Gospel conversations with people you don’t know in a public place: park, sports complex, mall, downtown area, etc., using the Life in 6 Words app. Start the conversation with something like this: “We are participating in event this week, and we are taking a survey on how people would describe their life in 6 words.” Then walk them through the Life in 6 Words app screen prompts, so you can share the G.O.S.P.E.L.

3. Have 3 Gospel conversations with people you don’t know in a public place: park, sports complex, mall, downtown area, etc. Challenge each other to not use the Life in 6 Words app to see how well you are learning how to share your faith.

DAREFRIDAY

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D A R E # 1 - A C T I V A T E Y O U R C A U S E C R E W“Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:20,21

A Cause Crew is a group of teenagers committed to leading THE Cause (or being “workers in o o o o oo

etc.) by praying, caring, and sharing together on a consistent basis.

1. Who could be on your Cause Crew?

2. What is already happening at your school, team, clubs, etc. that might open the door for advancing the Gospel?

3. What could your Cause Crew do to rally others on your campus (or in your community)?

Prayer: _________________________________________________ (Prayer night, pray through yearbook, Zoom prayer meetings, etc.) Care: ___________________________________________________ (Encouraging notes for all freshmen, kindness tag, etc.)

Share: ___________________________________________________ (Do a training with all the Christian students on campus, share how to use the Life in 6 Words app, bring others to Dare 2 Share LIVE, etc.)

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4. Who are some people (other students, adults, parents, etc.) you could enlist as prayer warriors for your Cause Crew?

5. How could your youth group support your Cause Crew and work with you to reach more teens with the Gospel message?

6. What are some goals your Cause Crew could set for the next 3 months to get things going? (For example, # of prayer meetings, Gospel conversations, training other Christians how to share the Gospel, etc.)

Goal #1 _________________________________________________________________________

Goal #2 ________________________________________________________________________

Goal #3 ________________________________________________________________________

7. When, how often, in what way and how long will you meet? (These short meetings are for spending time in prayer for lost friends, and each other, sharing stories of Gospel conversations and brainstorming ideas to reach more teenagers for Christ. These meetings can be done face-to-face or digitally).

A C T I V A T E !Take the time to pray and then call (or talk in person) those you think would be good

o o o o o o

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D A R E # 2 - A C T I V A T E Y O U R Y O U T H G R O U PRead this passage together:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47

Dream as a youth group:

Brainstorm ideas for a vision God is calling your group to do. Remember during this “brainstorming” there is no bad idea as you collectively “set your hearts and your minds on things above”. In the conversation, feel free to share anything God has put on your heart for your Bold Vision ideas.

Questions for your Youth Group:

1. What communities (areas, schools, teams, etc.) are we called to reach (This is our “Cause Turf")?

2. How could we reach more students with the Gospel?

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3. What percentage of our youth group do we want to see actively (at least on a monthly basis) sharing their faith?

4. What changes to our strategy or programming could be made? (For example, extended intercessory prayer time, regularly asking for stories of sharing your faith, and more service projects, etc.)

5. As we think through what we’ve been discussing and experiencing, what one thing should we focus on the most as we move forward?

6. How exactly are we going to help the other teens in our youth group learn how to share their faith, and how can we measure how many of them are regularly sharing? (For example, Life in 6 Words app, Shine curriculum, student-to-student discipleship pairs, etc.)

7. What should our exact goals be for collective conversations between all of our youth group members, and how could we keep track of that number in a motivating display? (For example, a giant Cause Circle up front with a sticky note with the initials of every person we share with, a puzzle that we add a piece for every conversation we have, a bell that we ring every time we share, use the Life in 6 Words app to share stories, etc.)

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NOTES

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A S K - A D M I R E - A D M I T . . . H O W T O B R I N G T H E G O S P E L U P W I T H O U T T H R O W I N G U P

“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:4-6

Mastering the following 3 concepts will help you bring the Gospel up in a way that is “full of grace” and “seasoned with salt....”

Ask - Admire - Admit

ASK GREAT QUESTIONS!

People love to talk about themselves, so when we get good at asking questions (and genuinely listening to their answers) people will naturally want to talk with us.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...” James 1:19

Asking questions does three powerful things:

1. It breaks down cultural/relational barriers.

“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’” John 4:7

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P O W E R T E A M S !Why didn’t Jesus just start with a question that went straight to the Gospel?

2. It helps you understand where others are coming from and empathize with them.

“...the deepest need of the human heart is to be understood....” Stephen Covey

3. It gives you time to pray and ask God for wisdom to turn the conversation toward spiritual things.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5

Jesus asked engaging questions!

In the Gospels, Jesus asked about 300 questions at various times to various people.

“Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15b

"He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.'" Mark 8:12

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Matthew 16:26

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Like Jesus, we can move from “natural” questions to “spiritual” questions in our conversations.

Natural questions: • “Where do you go to school?” • “Do you play any sports?” • “How are things going for you?”

P O W E R T E A M S !What are some other examples of natural questions?

Spiritual questions:

• “What brings your life the most meaning?” • “Do you go to church anywhere?” • “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?”• "Is there anything I can pray about for you?"

*If you're using the Life in 6 Words app, you can use this question: "If you were to describe your life in just 6 words, which words would you use?"

P O W E R T E A M S !What are some other examples of spiritual questions?

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ADMIRE WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE... Focus on areas you agree on.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.’” Acts 17:22,23 (NIV 1984)

P O W E R T E A M S !What are some of the things that the Apostle Paul found to admire about their beliefs?

Build bridges, not walls.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

o o o o

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P O W E R T E A M S !Find something to admire in each of these belief systems:

Islam

Atheism

Satanism

Mormonism

Buddhism

https://www.dare2share.org/training/worldviews/

Realize that just because you are admiring something in their religion, it doesn’t mean you are endorsing their belief system.

Remember to admire their honesty in sharing their beliefs with you.

Recognize that you’ll get to the areas of difference as you unpack the G.O.S.P.E.L. message with them.

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ADMIT THAT THE REASON YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS IS BECAUSE YOU

NEEDED HIM TO RESCUE YOU.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15

This is the best opportunity to tell your salvation story and why you need Jesus!

Have a Gospel conversation as opposed to just an evangelistic presentation.

P O W E R T E A M S !Practice Ask, Admire, Admit

This interactive, engaging, faith-sharing tool provides you with a bridge for naturally initiating spiritual conversations.

Get the Life in 6 Words app on iTunes or Google Play.

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T H E G O S P E L David Mamet, legendary American scriptwriter, says that every compelling movie, drama or television show has three common elements: “Yes! No! But wait!”

There’s a “Yes” part of the show where the audience connects with the key character (AKA “The Protagonist”).

There’s a “No” part where the key character faces an impossible dilemma and a dangerous villain (AKA “The Antagonist”).

There’s a “But wait!” part where the problem is solved, often by a surprising, heroic action taken by “The Protagonist”.

P O W E R T E A M S !What is your favorite movie and how do you see “Yes! No! But wait!” in it?

IN SOME WAYS THE GOSPEL IS LIKE A LOVE STORY!

The Gospel is like a love story that begins with Adam and Eve in love with God and each other (“Yes!”) But then there’s a great break up when Adam and Eve sin and are kicked out of the

o o o o o o ofor sin so they can be reunited with Him again (“But wait!”)

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

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NO MATTER HOW YOU VIEW IT, THE GOSPEL STORY HAS “YES! NO! BUT WAIT!”

The GOSPEL tells the whole story of the Bible from Genesis 1-Revelation 22!

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)Our sins separate us from God. (Genesis 3)Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. (Genesis 4 - Malachi 4)Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew-Luke) Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John)Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts-Revelation)

GOD created us to be with him.

God spoke the universe and everything in it into creation.

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.’ And that is what happened.” Genesis 1:24 (NLT)

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3

But God got in the dirt, dust, mud, and blood to handcraft humanity! He got muddy to make Adam.

“...the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

He got bloody to make Eve.

“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:21,22

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Unlike everything else in all creation, God made humanity in His own image.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness....” Genesis 1:26a (NIV 1984)

P O W E R T E A M S !We are not gods, but in what ways are we like God?

God created us to have a relationship with Him on the deepest level.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day...” Genesis 3:8a

Imagine Adam, Eve, and Jesus, hand in hand, having daily walks and talks together in the Garden of Eden! God made us to be in intimate fellowship with Him!

OUR sins separate us from God.

Sin is breaking God’s commands, violating God’s character, and missing God’s mark.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” Genesis 2:16,17 (NIV 1984)

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“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Genesis 3:6

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

P O W E R T E A M S !In what ways do Adam and Eve’s sin impact us today?

When Adam and Eve sinned, everything changed for them.

Their eyes were opened.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Genesis 3:7

Their souls were corrupted.

“...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 (NIV 1984)

Their doom was sealed.

“So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden...” Genesis 3:23a

“For the wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23a

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When Adam and Eve sinned, everything changed for us.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned...” Romans 5:12

“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might...” 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9

SINS cannot be removed by good deeds.

Because we could never be good enough to enter into God’s presence.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27

Because the Law is a mirror to show us our sin, not a ladder to get us to heaven.

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” Romans 3:20

Because even our good deeds come from selfish motives.

“...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags....” Isaiah 64:6a

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PAYING the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

Jesus was the only one qualified to pay for our sins.

As a perfect human, He could die for other humans. As the eternal God, His payment for sin

“...he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14b,15 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many....” Hebrews 9:27,28a

Jesus died in our place for our sins.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5,6

P O W E R T E A M S !How do you feel when you think deeply on the fact that Jesus died in your place and for your sins on the cross?

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His resurrection demonstrated that He was who He claimed to be.

“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3

EVERYONE who trusts in him alone has eternal life.

We are saved by grace through faith, not by good works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9

We are justified by God the Father through faith in Jesus alone. Justification is a legal term that means "declared righteous.”

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24 (NIV 1984)

When we trust in Jesus as our Savior, He exchanges our sin for His righteousness.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

P O W E R T E A M S !Why is it so hard for people to accept that we are saved by faith alone in Jesus and not by the good deeds that we do?

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LIFE with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

Eternal life begins as soon as you believe in Jesus.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.” John 6:47 (NLT)

Eternal life is eternal.

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30

Eternal life is not just about someday in Heaven. It's about Someone you can know now.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

The guarantee of eternal life is not a license to sin but a reason to serve!

N O W W H A T ?1. Memorize the G.O.S.P.E.L. word-for-word.

2. Practice until you are able to explain it in a conversational way.

3. Don’t be ashamed to share it with anyone and everyone!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

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A C T I V A T E !Take time and memorize the G.O.S.P.E.L.

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W R A P I T U P ! Y O U ’ V E U S E D A A A , S H A R E D T H E G . O . S . P . E . L . , A N D N O W I T ’ S T I M E T O W R A P I T U P !

Jesus was activated by the Holy Spirit to set the pace.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18,19

We are activated by the Holy Spirit to set the pace.

By preaching the Gospel.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

P O W E R T E A M S !What fears do you have about sharing the Gospel with people in your school, family, or community?

By calling people to respond.

"With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.'" Acts 2:40

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P O W E R T E A M S !How can we lovingly help people understand the importance of their decision about Jesus?

Here are two questions to help them respond.

“Does that make sense?”

If they say “no,” ask which parts they need help understanding, and explain it again. If they say “yes,” move on to the next question.

“Is there anything holding you back from trusting in Jesus right now?”

Generally, they will answer this question in three different ways:

"When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, 'We want to hear you again on this subject.' At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.” Acts 17:32-34

• Some will reject the Gospel (Acts 17:32).

» Continue to pray for them as God continues to pursue their heart.

• o o o o

» Plan to continue the conversations with them and help them investigate any questions or challenges they may have.

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• Some will be ready to trust in Jesus right away (Acts 17:34).

» Invite them to trust in Jesus right then.

» You can lead them through a prayer of salvation, but help them understand it’s their faith in Jesus that saves them (not the prayer). The easiest way to do this is praying through the G.O.S.P.E.L.

God created us to be with Him.Our sins separate us from God.Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

Once someone trusts in Jesus, help them to grow in their faith.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18a

P O W E R T E A M S !What’s the most important thing for you to do when someone you have a conversation with trusts in Jesus?

Once you hear that they want to accept Jesus, urge them to...

• Find and attend a good church.

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“...not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

• Read God's Word and pray consistently.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

• Challenge them to use the Life in 6 Words app to share and build a Cause Circle.

“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8a

• Helpful resource: Life Series (7 free videos for new believers to grow found at wearelovinlife.com/lifeseries)

P O W E R T E A M S !Go through AAA, G.O.S.P.E.L., and wrap it up with the two questions to practice having a Gospel conversation.

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H O W T O D A R E T O S H A R E T H E G O S P E L

Commit to THE Cause! (Prayer-Care-Share)

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2-6

• Pray for them!

• Care for them!

• Share the Gospel with them!

P O W E R T E A M S !Write the names of the people you are trying to reach with the Gospel in the circle. Share the names, and then pray for them.

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Start the conversation! (Ask-Admire-Admit)

Ask great questions.

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Proverbs 20:5

• Questions help break down barriers

• Questions help you get to know someone better

• Questions helps you discover where someone’s at spiritually

Admire what you can about what they believe.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’” Acts 17:22,23a (NIV 1984)

P O W E R T E A M S !o o o o

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Admit the reason you’re a Christian is that you need Jesus.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15

Explain the G.O.S.P.E.L.!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

God created us to be with Him. Genesis 1-2Our sins separate us from God. Genesis 3Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. Genesis 4-Malachi 4Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. Matthew-LukeEveryone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. JohnLife with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. Acts-Revelation

• Memorize it word-for-word!

P O W E R T E A M S !Stop and memorize the G.O.S.P.E.L.

• Verbalize it word-for-word!

• Personalize it by adding explanations in between!

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P O W E R T E A M S !Use AAA and G.O.S.P.E.L. and role play a Gospel conversation.

Invite them to respond!

“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.'” Acts 2:40

A Clarifying Question: “Does that make sense?”

• If their answer is “no”, try explaining it again.

• If their answer is “yes”, move on to the next question.

A Catalytic Question: “Is there anything holding you back from trusting in Jesus right now?”

• o o o

• If their answer is “no”, encourage them to put their faith in Jesus right then.

A sample prayer to lead them through,

“Dear God, I know that my sins have broken my relationship with you and that nothing I could do could ever change that. But right now, I believe that Jesus died in my place and rose again from the dead. I trust in Him to forgive me for my sins. Through faith in Him, I am entering an eternal relationship with you. Thank you for this free gift! Amen.”

*Remember it’s faith in Christ, not a prayer, that saves.

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If they trust in Jesus, help them grow in their newfound relationship with Him (church, God’s Word, prayer, evangelism, etc.). Check out Zane Black’s Life Series for new believers at wearelovinlife.com/lifeseries

Follow up!

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

If they trust in Jesus, help them grow in their newfound relationship with Him (church, God’s Word, prayer, evangelism, etc.). Check out Zane Black’s Life Series for new believers at wearelovinlife.com/lifeseries

If they aren’t ready yet, keep extending God’s message of grace to them with your life and words.

If you engage in a conversation with someone who has a different worldview/religious background, and is argumentative, be loving and use the 4-1 Defense!

4 Questions:

1. What do you mean by that?2. How do you know that to be true?3. What difference has it made in your life?4. What if you’re wrong?

1 Statement:If they ask questions or show you evidence that you don’t know how to answer/

“I don’t know now, but let’s keep talking.”

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H O W T O H E L P N E W B E L I E V E R S G R O W “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6,7 (NLT)

IDENTITY

Every disciple must learn WHO they are.

We are dearly loved children.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1 (NIV 1984)

We are a new creation.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

We are Christ’s ambassadors.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

P O W E R T E A M S !How can knowing your identity as a believer in Christ help guard you from Satan’s lies and attacks?

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Every disciple must learn WHOSE they are.

We have been made by God and for God.

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

We are not our own. We were bought with a price.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O NWhich term best describes how all these truths about your identity make you feel?

» fully loved and accepted » forgiven and free » humbled and thankful » o » encouraged and energized

WALK

Every disciple must learn to WALK in the Spirit.

Jesus, though He was 100% God, also became 100% human. And though He was fully God, Jesus chose to live His life as a man fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert.” Luke 4:1 (NIV 1984)

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“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.” Luke 4:14

P O W E R T E A M S !In what ways would our lives be different, if we truly walked in the Spirit like Jesus?

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

Every disciple must learn to WALK in obedience.

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“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8

When we obey, we demonstrate our love for God.

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 1:6

TALK

Every disciple must learn to TALK to God (PRAYER).

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Pray boldly!

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

Pray relentlessly!

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9,10

“Prayer is like chopping down a tree. A tree usually doesn’t fall after the first swing of the axe. Nor are our prayers usually answered after the first one is uttered. We keep swinging. We keep praying. We keep asking. We pray until God yells ‘Timber!’ When you relentlessly swing an axe your muscles are strengthened. When you relentlessly pray, your faith muscles are strengthened as well.” Greg Stier

Pray expectantly!

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13

P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N

On a scale from 1-10 how relentless are your prayers?

1.......2.......3.......4.......5.......6.......7.......8.......9.......10

One and done → Off and on → Consistent and persistent

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P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N What do you think is holding you back from believing God wants to give you good things and that, through persistent prayer, you can access them?

P O W E R T E A M S !Pray for something that has been on your heart.

Every disciple must learn to TALK to other believers about God (ENCOURAGEMENT).

We should speak the truth... in love!

“Instead, speaking the truth in love... each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Ephesians 4:15a,25

We should build others up with our words.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

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Every disciple must learn to TALK to others about God (EVANGELISM).

We should pray for open doors to share Christ with others.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us to, that God may open a door for our message...” Colossians 4:2,3a

We should live our lives in a way that makes the Gospel attractive.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5,6

We should know how to present the Gospel simply and clearly.

“Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.” Colossians 4:4 (NLT)

P O W E R T E A M S !Take 60 seconds to share the G.O.S.P.E.L. from memory with a partner.

FEED

Every disciple must learn to FEED on the milk of God’s Word.

God’s Word transforms us.

“...be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

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God’s Word prepares us.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful to teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17 (NIV 1984)

We should read and think about God’s Word daily.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalms 1:2,3 (NIV 1984)

Every disciple must learn to FEED on the meat of God’s Word.

“Do your best [study] to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

• Study God’s Word by asking questions.

» What does this passage teach me about God Himself? What does this passage teach me about myself?

» How should my life be different because of this passage?

» What does God want me to know? What does God want me to do?

• Study God’s Word by keeping a journal.

• Study God’s Word by sharing what you’re learning with others.

CLEAN

Every disciple must learn to CONFESS their sin to God.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

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Every disciple must learn to CONFESS their sin to others.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NIV 1984)

P O W E R T E A M S !o o o o o

Where are you the weakest? What is one thing you can begin to do this week to grow stronger spiritually?

CONCLUSIONS:

• Commit to growing in each of the 5 areas. • Find a friend you will commit to growing with you and hold each other accountable. • Additional Resources

» 4 Chair Discipling by Dan Spader » Knowing Him by Mark Edwards, Director of Sonlife South America » 5 E-Booklets: Clean, Feed, Identity, Walk and Talk » Find these resources at store.sonlife.com

• Complete online spiritual gifts survey today to prepare for tomorrow’s Core Training session (https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/spiritual-gifts-survey/).

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H O W T O E Q U I P G R O W I N G B E L I E V E R S“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10

WHAT DISCIPLES DO

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 that we’ve been “created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us….” God has a purpose and a plan for the life of every believer. He wants to use us. He has work for us to do.

P O W E R T E A M S !How important is it that a new believer understands that God has a purpose for their life and He has work for them to do, but that the work He has for them to do is not what will save them?

GROWING DISCIPLES LEARN TO SUBMIT

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6 (NLT)

“Love means doing what God has commanded us.” 2 John 1:6a (NLT)

An often overlooked part of the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, is that Jesus wanted His disciples to teach the new disciples “to obey everything I have commanded you.”

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Obedience means doing what God asks us to do, when He asks us to do, how He asks us to do it, without debate or delay.

P O W E R T E A M S !What is a hard thing God has asked you to do this past year? How did that turn out?

There are three overarching commands which we are to obey, and they are contained in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. The Great Commandment:

"Jesus replied, 'The most important commandment is this: Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.'” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

The Great Commission (AKA THE Cause):

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19,20

The Gospel in 6 Words.

God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life.

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The life of a disciple in six simple words.

LOVE GOD • LOVE PEOPLE • MAKE DISCIPLES

P O W E R T E A M S !How do you see these three basic commands connected to and dependent upon one another?

ONE ANOTHER

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

1 John 4:20 (NIV 1984)

God’s Word is full of commands for how He wants us to treat one another. The most common “one another” command in Scripture is “love one another,” which appears at least 16 times.

Let’s evaluate how we’re doing with just a dozen of these “one another” commands.

1. Be devoted to one another. (Romans 12:10) 2. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10) 3. Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16) 4. Stop passing judgement on one another. (Romans 14:16) 5. Accept one another. (Romans 15:7) 6. Instruct one another. (Romans 15:14) 7. Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Ephesians 4:32) 8. Forgive each other. (Ephesians 4:32)

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9. Encourage and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) 10. Pray for one another. (James 5:16) 11. Confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16) 12. Carry one another’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)

Pause for a moment and pray. Ask God which of these He wants you to do today with someone from your youth group.

GROWING DISCIPLES LEARN TO SERVE

“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10,11 (NLT)

God gives each believer gifts and abilities that He wants to use to show His love to the people around us. The Apostle Peter writes that God has given a “variety” of gifts. Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul details what some of these variety of gifts are.

“In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have the gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

Seven different gifts are mentioned here in Romans 12, and they can be broken down into the o o o Serving Gifts and Speaking Gifts.

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A C T I V A T E !

Check 2-3 of these Spiritual Gifts that you think might be present in your own life. SERVING GIFTS SPEAKING GIFTS

SERVING / HELPING PROPHECY / PREACHING GIVING TEACHING KINDNESS / CARING ENCOURAGING LEADING LEADING

P O W E R T E A M S !Which Spiritual Gifts did you circle, and how have you used those gifts to serve others?

CAUTIONS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS While it’s amazing to think that God wants to use us, and that He gives us supernatural abilities to accomplish His work through us, we must guard against certain dangerous and destructive attitudes about our Spiritual Gifts. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2:3,4 (NLT)

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PRIDE: Don’t think that we are better than or more important that others because our gifts are more visible and more celebrated. Spiritual Gifts are given by God. It’s not about us.

ENVY: Don’t look at the gifts and abilities that others have with envy, thinking they are better than you. God has given them the gifts He gave them for a reason, and He has given you the gifts He gave you for a reason.

NEGLECT: Don’t become so consumed with yourself and your own needs and interests that you fail to see the needs of others around you and neglect to use the gifts God has given you to serve them.

P O W E R T E A M S !Of these three cautions- pride, envy, neglect- which is most likely to be a problem for you?

GROWING DISCIPLES LEARN TO SHARE God gives each believer both the privilege and the responsibility to talk to others about Him.

Talking to others about our relationship with God needs to be a regular part of our life.

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 1:6 (NIV 1984)

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SHARING GOD’S WORD “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.” Colossians 3:16a (NLT)

• WITH BELIEVING FRIENDS: When we regularly share what God is teaching us through His Word and how it is impacting our life with our believing friends, we encourage them to read God’s Word for themselves and apply it to their own life.

• WITH LOST FRIENDS: When we regularly share what God is teaching us through His Word and how it is impacting our life with our spiritually lost friends, we show them the importance of God in our everyday life and the relevance of God’s Word to the situations they might be facing..

P O W E R T E A M S !What is one thing God has taught you through His Word during your morning devotions at Lead THE Cause this week?

SHARING THE GOSPEL

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! All of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NLT)

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• GOD GIVES US A TESTIMONY: We have been given the gift of new life in Christ. Our life has been changed by the Gospel. The new life that we have, the new person that we are, the new hope that we have is a witness to the power of the Gospel.

» MY LIFE BEFORE CHRIST » HOW I MET CHRIST » THE DIFFERENCE CHRIST HAS MADE IN MY LIFE

• GOD GIVES US A MESSAGE: We have been given the “message of reconciliation,” the message of the Gospel that shares the hope of forgiveness and new life in Christ.

• GOD GIVES US A RESPONSIBILITY: We are ambassadors for God. We represent Christ. We speak on His behalf. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

DEVOTIONAL TIME

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T U E S D A Y : A C T I V A T E Y O U R Q U I E T T I M E ( P R A Y E R )

↑ Upward: Talk to God on purpose

Praise: Worship God for who He is and thank Him for inviting you into a conversation with Him through prayer.

Request: Ask Jesus to give you ears to hear what He is saying to you through prayer and the Word.

Admit: Ask God to forgive you of any hard heartedness towards Him, towards others, or towards yourself.

Yield: Ask God to soften your heart towards the leading of His Spirit as you spend time in conversation with Him.

↓ Inward: Read and Reflect

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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“This, then, is how you should pray:‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Matthew 6:5-13

o o o o oright things, if we’re asking for the right things, or if we really even know what we’re doing! Because we can’t see him face to face, a conversation with God can sometimes feel like a conversation with someone we don’t know too well. What should a conversation with God look like? What does He expect of us in prayer? Jesus knew the Father intimately, and he invites us to share in some “inside knowledge” about prayer in this passage.

First, Jesus invites us to let our guards down and be fully ourselves with the Father. Though we may feel as if we’re talking to someone unfamiliar in prayer, Jesus reassures us that the Father knows us well. In fact, He knows what we need even before we ask Him! Because we are so fully known by God, there is no expectation for us to sound extra spiritual or like we really know what we’re talking about in the way we pray. Jesus encourages us to spend time praying where no one but God can hear us, because prayer is meant to be an honest and vulnerable conversation—not a demonstration.

So when Jesus tells his listeners, “This then is how you should pray...” he is not giving them a magical set of words to use in prayer, but rather a framework in which they can begin to say

o o o odoes it tell you about the character of the Father and His relationship to those who come to Him in prayer?

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↔ Outward: Lead THE Cause

Spend some time in prayer for your community and especially for those who don’t know Christ. Think about what it would look like for the Father’s will to be done in your community as it is in heaven. Think about what it means for God to give you your daily bread. Try praying through the lens of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 5:9-13 using your own words.

Write down your thoughts and what you will do.

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W E D N E S D A Y : A C T I V A T E Y O U R C O M P A S S I O N ( C A R E )


Praise: o o o o oyou to care for the people around you (spiritual gifts, personality, abilities, etc.).

Request: Ask Jesus to move you with compassion to care for others, just as He was moved with compassion.

Admit: Talk with God about times in your life when you lacked compassion and failed to truly care for someone.

Yield: o o o o o o owell as the wisdom and compassion to address it.


“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus lived in a society that suffered immense physical, spiritual, social, and relational need—much like the world we live in today. Although He was never overwhelmed or intimidated by the extent of the need, Jesus was often moved by it. In John 11, we read about the death of Jesus’s friend Lazarus. When Jesus saw Lazarus’s sister Mary weeping, “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled”, and when He saw Lazarus’s tomb, He wept.

We see in Matthew 14 that even as Jesus was grieving the loss of his cousin John the Baptist, He had compassion on the crowds that came to Him to be healed. We can gather from

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countless stories in the gospels that Jesus was well acquainted with the same grief that many of us experience, and that He had deep compassion for a world battered by sin and death.

The good news is that what Jesus was bringing into this world was good news! As He traveled with the message that the kingdom of God had come near, Jesus’ words were always accompanied by actions. His audience not only heard the good news, but saw it playing out right in front of them as the sick were healed and the dead were raised. We see in the life of Jesus that the proclamation of the Gospel should go hand in hand with the living-out of the Gospel in compassionately addressing the needs of those around us. Because the Gospel isn’t just a message that brings life after death, but one that brings abundant life to the here and now!


o o o o o o o o o ostories that brought the kingdom of heaven to earth? Have you ever thought about how your own acts of compassion towards others actually point the way to Jesus?

Commit to intentionally showing care for the people in your life this week. For example, send an encouraging text message to a friend or classmate and ask how you can pray for them, send a card or care package to someone who lives alone and might be feeling lonely or forgotten right now, or buy a gift card to a local grocery store for someone in your community o o

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Praise: Worship God for who He is and thank Him for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Request: Ask Jesus to give you a boldness to share the Gospel clearly and fearlessly.

Admit: Confess any unwillingness, apathy, or fear in your heart about sharing the Good News.

Yield: o o o o o o o othe Gospel with someone who needs the hope of Christ in their life.


“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8

Our theme verse this week (Acts 1:8) talks about being “witnesses” for Jesus. What do you think of when you hear the word “witness”? Many Christians tend to think that being a witness just means living a godly life so that others can see it and want to become a Christian. However, when you think of the word “witness” apart from the Bible, what do you think of? Most of you probably think of being a witness in a courtroom. If you are a witness on the stand in a courtroom, you are required to tell what you personally know to be true. It is the same for us as believers. As witnesses, we are to tell what we personally know to be true about Jesus!

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Sure, we should seek to live a godly life to please our Lord and to back up what we say. We don’t want our lives to be the “bad news” while we try to share the Good News! However, to truly be a witness for Jesus Christ, we must speak up. Let’s commit to being witnesses for

o o o o


Commit to sharing the Good News of Jesus with someone in your Cause Circle today. Tell them what you personally know to be true about Jesus and share your story of how Christ has changed your life and continues to help you get through the struggles of this life. You could focus on how your relationship with Christ has helped you get through the struggle of this pandemic and the quarantine.


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F R I D A Y : A C T I V A T E Y O U R D A I L Y H A B I T S ( D A R E )

↑ Upward: Talk to God on purpose.

Praise: Worship God for who He is and thank Him for the opportunity to talk to Him daily and hear from Him daily.

Request: Ask Jesus to help you commit to getting into a daily habit of prayer and time in His Word. Ask Him to provide you someone to hold you accountable to this daily habit.

Admit: Confess any excuses and doubts you have about committing to spend time with God daily. Admit when it becomes only a duty, rather than a desire to meet with Him.

Yield: o o o o odiscipline to develop a daily habit of prayer and reading Scripture.


“There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer.” Acts 10:1,2 (The Message)

↔ Outward: Make a Daily Habit of Prayer!

What are some spiritual habits that you will commit to that will help you (and those around you) focus on living worshipfully before God and helping people in need?

Note: Look back at your commitment on Tuesday. Does anything need to change?

With God’s help, I will do my best to spend time in P-R-A-Yer and the Word daily for _________________minutes in ______________ (location) every _____________(time of day).

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Ideas and best practices from other students • 10 minutes in my bedroom every morning. • 30 minutes in the coffee shop every afternoon.

Live worshipfully before God by spending time in His Word daily!• Download the YouVersion Bible app and join a daily Bible reading plan (Youversion.

com).• Download the Streetlights audio Bible + app (streetlightsbible.com).• Read through the Gospel of John in 21 days (a chapter per day).• Check out Word of Life Ministries for several great student devotion resources

(wol.org).


See you next year!

CHICAGO, IL • DENVER, CO • WASHINGTON, D.C.

leadthecause.org

June 14-21 July 5-10 July 26-31

As the only Christian University in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, CCU offers a unique experience to our students. Our professors are mentors as well as teachers, as they integrate faith into our exemplary academic programs. Our students become leaders during their time here, serving in ministries and mission trips and learning to embody Christ. And with urban opportunities and outdoor adventures in either direction, we have extraordinary possibilities to impact the world around us.

Real Life. Real Faith.Can you see yourself at CCU? Greg Stier did — graduating with a degree in Youth Ministry. CCU offers a $1,250 renewable ministry partner scholarship exclusively for Lead THE Cause participants that are new, inbound Fall 2020 freshmen and transfer students! *terms and conditions apply

Schedule your free campus visit today at CCU.EDU/VISIT

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 1:6

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Summer Music Sale!!

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I n s p i r e , E q u i p a n d M u l t i p l y

M U LT I P LY M I N I S T R I E S

“Listen, we get i t , and that’s why we are here. Mult ip ly was created because we love youth pastors. Youth Ministry is hard work, and as pastors and former pastors, we know where you are coming from. The Holy Spir i t has led us to take what we have learned and pour i t into the l ives of others who have started the journey. At Lead THE Cause Vir tual , you wi l l d iscover and learn new strategies and values to help your ministry become a Bibl ical ly based Gospel Advancing Ministry. With over 50 years of youth ministry exper ience, we are here to help you as you walk along this journey. Our mission is to provide you with coachingcoaching as you fol low the Holy Spir i t 's cal l upon your ministry, as wel l as be avai lable to you as a counselor and fr iend to lean on as you walk through this process. We want to help you implement these values and execute the bold v is ion the Lord has given you for your context and community. Whether you are new to youth ministry or a veteran, we can help you grow and thr ive. We ask you prayerful ly to consider coaching and reach out to us for quest ions and help.”

- Chris Selby, Founder and President

(479) 270-0127 mul t ip lyministr ies20@gmai l .com

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C O A C H I N G N E T W O R K S P E A K I N G E V E N T S

july 27-31 event workbook · stay in touch with your leader. please be sure to regularly check in...

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